County has ‘record’ heroin bust

Four face felony charges

Surry County Sheriff Jimmy Combs looks over the "haul" from the search of a Mount Airy home which includes more than a half-pound of heroin in addition to methamphetamine, guns and other items.

Landeros

Potts

DOBSON — Arrests for heroin distribution have not been a frequent occurrence in Surry in recent years, but authorities have made an unprecedented bust in the county involving that drug.

“As far as we know, it’s a record seizure of heroin,” Sheriff Jimmy Combs said Monday of a search of a Mount Airy residence that turned up more than a half-pound of heroin along with other illegal substances and led to the arrests of four people. All are behind bars under large secured bonds.

The raid occurred last week, but information regarding it was not released until Monday morning.

A search warrant was executed at 2028 Caudle Drive Wednesday by tactical officers with the Surry County Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement Team, with all four suspects targeted located inside the residence.

The search resulted from an eight-month investigation into the trafficking of controlled substances in Surry and surrounding areas. The investigation was a joint operation with the Mount Airy Police Department and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Officers located 243 grams of heroin with a street value of $48,000 during the search, along with 297 grams of methamphetamine (more than a half-pound) with a street value of $35,000.

Also seized were 2 grams of cocaine and an indoor marijuana-growing operation consisting of four adult plants, in addition to several firearms including long guns and handguns. Two of those were confirmed as stolen, one from West Virginia and one from Surry County.

“It was quite a big deal,” Mount Airy Police Chief Dale Watson said Monday of the magnitude of the bust.

Those arrested include:

• Marcos Jesus Carreon, 24, of 2028 Caudle Drive, on two counts each of trafficking methamphetamine and trafficking heroin; and one count each of manufacturing marijuana; possession of cocaine; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver marijuana; possession of marijuana; maintaining a drug dwelling; possession of marijuana paraphernalia; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Carreon was jailed under a $1.1 million secured bond.

• Juan Carlos Landeros, 25, of 2028 Caudle Drive, on two counts each of trafficking methamphetamine and trafficking heroin; and one count each of manufacturing marijuana; possession of cocaine; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver marijuana; felony possession of marijuana; maintaining a drug dwelling; possession of marijuana paraphernalia; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Landeros is being held in the Surry County Jail under a $1 million secured bond.

• Christy Renee Potts, 26, of 2028 Caudle Drive, on two counts each of trafficking methamphetamine and trafficking heroin; and one count each of manufacturing marijuana; possession of cocaine; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver marijuana; possession of marijuana; maintaining a drug dwelling; possession of marijuana paraphernalia; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Potts is jailed under a $500,000 secured bond.

• Kayla Marie Beverly, 29, of 218 Abner Lane, Mount Airy, on one count each of possession of heroin, a felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Beverly was being held Monday afternoon under a $6,000 secured bond.

All four defendants are scheduled to appear in Surry District Court on Nov. 22.

Linked to opioids

Sheriff Combs said the heroin bust is a by-product of another major issue, prescription drug misuse.

“This is just a symptom of the greater problem we continually face with opioid addiction and abuse of prescription medication,” he observed.

“As restrictions and enforcement focused on the abuse of prescription opioids increase, it is opening a greater demand for illicit opioids such as heroin.”

The sheriff said this highlights the need for law enforcement agencies to work together to tackle a common problem.

“This joint investigation is an example of how effective we can be when we work together with other law enforcement agencies and pool our resources,” Combs added.

“Drug dealers have no respect for jurisdictional boundaries — that is why we will continue to utilize local, state and federal agencies.”

Surry County Sheriff Jimmy Combs looks over the "haul" from the search of a Mount Airy home which includes more than a half-pound of heroin in addition to methamphetamine, guns and other items.

http://www.pilotmountainnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web1_Heroin.jpgSurry County Sheriff Jimmy Combs looks over the "haul" from the search of a Mount Airy home which includes more than a half-pound of heroin in addition to methamphetamine, guns and other items.